The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-26
MRS. ELIZA j. NICHOLSON.
A Woman Who Edits an Influential Paper
and Does It Well.

Albany Express.
Mrs. Eliza j. Nicholson, of the New Orleans
Picayune, is the only woman 10 the country. the
only woman living, who is at once the controll-
ing proprietor anu editorrin-chief of a big city
daily. and she not only finds her Office chair none
too large to fill and none too thorny to sit upon.
but during her administration of the papers
affairs has seen debt of $50 600 lifted and it's
prosperity every year increased.
Mrs. Nicholson Is very modest and unassum-
ing when questioned with regard to her news
Taper success 1.-The paper has certainly thriven
under my control" size says, ''but / feel sure
that it would not have done had 1 not been
Loyalty supported by my staff. 1nstead OF fret
ting or chatting in any way at coming under pet
tcoat government, every body concerned, from
the Office boy to the managing editor, has been
devoted to my interests. and more than willing
to carry out my wishes. Nowhere, except In
the South could a woman rule 50 large an
establishment with such ease. do not say that
nowhere else could q woman do it, for nobody
knows what woman can DO. least of all the
herself, until she tries. but only in the
South would the difficulties be smoothed
away for her. because nowhere else are the men
true aud chvalrous. My boys work hard to
please me. and verify believe value word Of
commentator from me more tnan they would
the same praise coming from q man.
Mrs. Nicholson was the first woman TO enter
newspaper work in the South, and did so by
force of native talent and liking for the work,
in spite of somewhat adverse circumstances.
She is graceful poet and the first lines of hers
published brought her check for $40 from
the Baltimore Journal, to which they were sent.
THAT was the happiest moment of my life" she
says; lit the first money L had ever
earned" Other poems found their way the
New York Home Journal, to a weekly paper,
the New Orleans Times, and later to the Plea
yune. Father and brothers objected to her writ
ing for money. 1t was not in accord with the
social code that lady should work. but she had
found ont for herself how much pleasanter it is
to earn for ones self than to accept from others,
and gradually came to do more and more for the
Picayune. That paper sent her one year to the
summer resorts and she sent back bright letters
from Niagara and Saratoga.
On her return she became literary editor,
judging poems and copy of all sorts for the Sun
day sditon. aud taking charge of the makeup
OF that sheet After her marriage to the pro-
prietor of the Picayune. Colonel Hobrook. the
work continued she taking no desk in the Office,
but coming in once or twice week to look over
her proofs Colonel Holbrooks death three
years afterward left her young widow with
the paper on her hands hurdened with a heavy
debt. There was almost unanimous chorus
Of advice from lawyers, relatives and friends,
Give it up; it is too heavy load for a woman;
take what the law will allow you and be free
from newspaper cares" just one dissenting
voice made itself heard Mr.. Nicholson, the
business manager, urged her to keep tho paper.
promising to stand by her if she would stand by
the sheet She was brave enough to face the
situation and fight the battle out
She became actually as well as nominallv ed
itor-in-chief. being faithful to her Office hours
from until every day, welding a busy pen
and deciding the attitude of the paper on all
important questions. political and otherwise.
With excellent management upstairs and down.
in the business department. we'll as in the ed
itorial rooms. the burden OF debt was lifted, new
offices were built, and when the paper cele-
brated its ffteth anniversary last January,
Mrs. Nicholson-such she became two years af-
ter taking charge of the paper-was able to rea-
lie that she was at the head of superb estab-
l,shment Her husband continues to direct the
finances of the paper, while she is supreme in
the editorial rooms, descending somewhat less
to details, perhaps. now that she is mother as
we'll as editor, but still with a vieilant eye &c
the policy to be pursued. and quick to note ev
cry chance for an advantage to be gained.